Colombian Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by British-Based Companies

Situated near a gleaming football stadium of Tottenham Hotspur in the British capital is a plain, unremarkable block of flats. Behind its ordinary beige brickwork lies a grim secret: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes taking place thousands of miles to the south.

According to UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in the capital is connected to a transnational network of firms involved in the mass hiring of mercenaries to fight in Sudan alongside militias charged of numerous war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Scores of Former Colombian Military Enlisted

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been enlisted to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for sexual violence, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were key participants in the RSF's seizure of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that experts believe has cost over 60,000 lives.

While accounts of atrocities mount, links have been identified between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The flat in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are described in records at the UK company registry as resident in Britain.

The firm remains active. The following day the United States imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of central London. Its new postcode corresponds to a luxury accommodation in a central district.

The establishments in question said they had no link to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the firm had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the primary figures the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company operating from a apartment in the capital," said Mike Lewis, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Analysts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals publicly sanctioned by the US for "fueling the conflict in Sudan" were able to seemingly set up and run a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and sexual violence" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When asked about Zeuz Global, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or confirm the location of the sanctioned individuals.

Contacting Zeuz proved fruitless; its website, created in May, was labelled as "being built" with no contact details.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

According to the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a citizen of two countries and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a key part in hiring former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Bogotá-based employment agency. His spouse was also sanctioned for owning and managing the firm.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for overseeing a company accused of processing money and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"During 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Company Registration and Escalating Violence

In spring of the current year, the penalized figures registered a firm in the UK capital called ODP8 Ltd – later renamed Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam displacement camp, killing more than 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for attacking El Fasher.

The sanctioned individuals are listed in official UK documents as holding "initial shareholdings" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both describe Britain as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the war, experts state. These nationals have reportedly trained children to be combatants, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These aircraft proved key in the fall of El Fasher and during combat in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a technologically advanced one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing daily civilian deaths," said the expert. "These systems require external help to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a major component of this external assistance."

He noted that the involvement of penalized persons in a UK company highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official said that the new rollout of "mandatory identity verification" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was establishing and controlling UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an expression of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and fought in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been linked to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A investigation alleged that UAE nationals supplying fighters to the RSF were linked to a high-ranking Emirati figure. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is calling for an halt to atrocities, the safety of civilians, and the removal of barriers to humanitarian access."

They added that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF leaders for their part in the atrocities in El Fasher.